The present invention relates to the use of a selected probiotic for the manufacture of a nutritional composition or a medicament to prevent or treat gut pain or gut discomfort related or linked to gut muscular abnormalities. The present invention generally relates the use of a selected probiotic to prevent of treat persistent gut neuromuscular abnormalities, as encountered in many instances.
The present invention further relates to a method of preventing or treating gut pain or gut discomfort and persistent motor dysfunction in the gut.
Probiotics are generally defined as a live microbial food supplement which beneficially affects the host human or animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance. Several different beneficial effects of probiotics have so far been reported or proposed, such as displacement of Helicobacter infection (EP 0577 903), enhancement of colonization resistance, especially with regard to Clostridium species, reduction of serum cholesterol, influence on the host immune system, for example on the level of the humoral and the cellular immune system.
EP 0768 375 discloses Bifidobacteria that are able to be implanted in the intestinal flora, to adhere to intestinal cells and to competitively exclude pathogenic bacteria on the intestinal cells.
In WO 98/00035 enteral compositions containing several lactic acid bacteria are disclosed, which are shown to stimulate the immune system, as measured by the number of T CD4+ peripheral blood lymphocytes.
When humans and mammalian animals suffer from gut discomfort or gut pain, these often are the symptoms of gut motility disorders, or, in other words, gut neuromuscular abnormalities.
Individuals of any age and in many circumstances are concerned from gut neuromuscular abnormalities. Examples are babies suffering from colic or abdominal recurrent pain, women suffering from gut pain due to hormonal cycle and emotional stress, and many more.
If gut pain and discomfort persists over prolonged time in particularly severe cases and a doctor's advice is sought, it may be that IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is diagnosed.
In the context of IBS the prior art is not coherent on the effect of probiotics on this particular syndrome. In one recent study (Niedzielin K et al, A controlled, double-blind, randomized study on the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2001, 13:1143-1147) it is found that probiotics may have a role in regulating the motility of the digestive tract.
On the other hand, in the paper of O'Sullivan M A and O'Morain (Bacterial supplementation in the irritable bowel syndrome. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, Dig Liv Dis 2000 May; 32(4):302-4) no significant differences were found between Lactobacillus casei strain GG and placebo mean. Other prior art confirms the later finding.
It is an object of the present invention to alleviate any pain, or discomfort related to persistent altered neuromuscular control and motor function in the guts (gut-neuromuscular abnormalities).
The present invention has the general objective to reduce and/or alleviate gut-neuromuscular abnormalities associated with any possible circumstance in an individual's life.